The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) http://www.agra.org/ has retained Kincannon & Reed to recruit a VP Finance & Administration to lead the organization’s finance, accounting, information technology, and related activities to support the organization’s activities and ensure that AGRA staff and structure are supported and organized to achieve its objectives. We seek a forward-looking, results-driven, financially-savvy leader with a strong internal control, cash flow, and metric driven focus who knows how to forge consensus, enthusiasm, efficiency, and effectiveness within the organization and achieve superior outcomes.

AGRA is a not-for-profit organization working with African governments, other donors, NGOs, the private sector, and African farmers to significantly and sustainably improve the productivity and incomes of resource poor farmers in Africa. AGRA aims to ensure that smallholders have what they need to succeed: good seeds and healthy soils; access to markets, information, financing, storage and transport; and policies that provide them with comprehensive support. Through developing Africa’s high-potential breadbasket areas, while also boosting farm productivity across more challenging environments, AGRA works to transform smallholder agriculture into a highly productive, efficient, sustainable and competitive system, while protecting the environment. To catalyze the commercial sector to drive agricultural transformation, AGRA’s activities are anchored in free capital enterprise and support smallholder farmers, agro-dealers, traders, warehouse keepers, and relevant financial institutions.

With pledges of close to US$535 million, as of December 2011 AGRA had approved 361 grants valued at US$259.5 million in 16 countries. Grantees operate across the agricultural value chain, laying the basis for the kind of comprehensive, integrated change needed by Africa’s smallholder farmers. AGRA has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya and an office in Accra, Ghana.

Vice President Finance & Administration Responsibilities:

• Lead the finance, accounting, and information systems to ensure effective and efficient management of financial resources.
• Lead AGRA’s financial planning and implementation processes, including the setting of annual priorities and the tight synchronization of organisational business cycles to achieve AGRA’s goals;
• Assure that an appropriate financial framework is in place for informed decision making, including the development and review of financial and risk management strategies, internal audits, corporate financial planning and compliance activities, and improved processes.
• Aligned with annual and long-term plans, drive AGRA’s annual and long-term budgeting process.
• Assess the finance staff and enhance development and recruitment efforts to fill gaps and build overall capabilities and bench strength.
• Maintain robust compliance with all relevant non-profit organization regulations and other regulations applicable in AGRA’s countries of operation
• Design and implement methods to measure organisational performance against strategic goals and anticipated outcomes;
• While not overseeing programs directly, work with senior staff to identify innovative and best practices to leverage opportunities and enhance the potential to deliver greater value in each of the program areas and ensure that programs areas collaborate to best effect;
• Effectively integrate and align the work of all areas to ensure consistent application of approved policies and practices across all divisions;
  • Direct and motivate the finance department staff so that responsibilities are delegated, strategies are effectively and accurately implemented, costs are controlled, and field financial and program staff are properly trained;
  • Oversee the work of the Human Resources Department, ensuring that it strives to recruit, support, and retain a highly motivated, diverse, and competent work force;
  • Manage relations (along with appropriate staff members) with board committees, committees of AGRA, and other important external fora as required;
  • Represent AGRA (along with appropriate staff members) in a variety of official capacities with key business stakeholders where appropriate.

The position is based in Nairobi at AGRA’s headquarters and reports to the President.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will have some or all of the following skills, knowledge, experience, and personal characteristics:

• Commitment to AGRA’s vision, mission, and corporate culture.
• At least 10 years of relevant progressive experience as a senior professional and manager, including at least 5 years of demonstrated management experience.
• Experience with finance and accounting management of development grants and projects, including understanding of pricing approaches (such as salary escalations or other price-influencing mechanisms) and cost management.
• Strong knowledge of financial accounting and planning, budgeting, risk management, and financial control systems. Additional proven experience in cost accounting and systems very strongly preferred.
• Experience producing consolidated financial statements and reporting for a diverse organization.
• Strong knowledge of international financial reporting and accounting standards and proven experience in applying them to produce financial statements.
• Results-oriented user’s knowledge of information systems for finance and accounting. Additional experience in project cost accounting and project management software systems preferred. Experience in vendor selection and implementation of new or conversion information systems as above highly desirable.
• Knowledge of the market conditions in the bread basket of Africa and an understanding of Africa’s complex distribution and supply networks and routes to market; a real understanding of the needs and aspirations of the end user in a rural African setting.
• Proven management capability to operationalise AGRA’s strategy in a resource-constrained environment.
• Business acumen to rapidly grasp AGRA’s financial underpinnings and business model for success.
• Proven hands-on experience in planning and implementing challenging, complex projects that anticipate and respond to the demands of a high-growth organization, developing dynamic and streamlined systems and processes that anticipate and support changes in the operational and business model, and producing results under demanding deadlines.
• Ability to decisively set priorities, delegate responsibilities, establish management metrics, assure and value accountability, and allocate resources appropriate to achieve results
• Experience managing and motivating teams in multiple countries in Africa; a highly motivated and dynamic personal leadership style that both inspires and generates confidence.
• Partnership mindset to create and implement an operational vision, framework, and culture that has the potential to forge a lasting legacy of impact.
  • Experience with a social enterprise and new philanthropy/ social investment and an appreciation of why traditional development approaches have not worked; understands the complex dynamics of a not-for-profit organisation. This may have been acquired in either the not-for-profit or commercial world.
  • Superior communications skills and influence capacity upward and downward across all management levels and functions
  • Track record of success in not-for-profit grant making.
  • Proven ability to recruit and retain a strong, professional corps of key staff.
  • Fluency in the French and English languages.

For consideration as a candidate or to suggest a prospective candidate, please contact in confidence: